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“Iykyk”: Trick Williams Responds After Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s Memphis Smackdown Segment Is Hijacked by ‘Whoop That’ Chants

Published Mar 15, 2024 | 9:02 PM EDT

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As Dwayne Johnson opened tonight’s WWE SmackDown episode, he started with Cody Rhodes. Not only did he prepare a Rock concert for The American Nightmare, but also one of his iconic promos. However, while the fans erupted and cheered for that, one line made them chant the catchphrase of NXT’s Trick Williams. This led to Williams even acknowledging it on social media.

Dwayne Johnson makes a Trick Williams reference, and the crowd takes over

Taking to the ring, Johnson talked about what he would be doing to Rhodes at Mania by means of a song and a burning promo. During his, he mentioned he would “Whoop Cody” with his belt. This led to the fans chanting, “Whoop, that trick.” This is the catchphrase of NXT’s Trick Williams. Taking to social media, Williams responded with, “S/o to Memphis . Iykyk And @ALKaponeMemphis.”

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NXT’s Trick Williams developed a unique connection with the audience. This was all thanks to the organic “Whoop That Trick” chant. It all started as a playful exchange between Williams and his tag partner Melo when the crowd unexpectedly began chanting it. The unsureness quickly turned into a rallying cry, with Williams feeding off the energy. During matches, this results in the fans responding by increasing their volume. This audience participation became a defining element of his entrance, perfectly captured in his new theme music.

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The entire promo Johnson did tonight was more on the comedic side of things rather than his more intense side. While insults were hurled towards every member of the Rhodes family, the tone of it was more comedic than anything else Johnson has done. Furthermore, The Rock has cracked insulting jokes before, but he’s never openly laughed at his own jokes. This was a completely new side to Johnson, which may have been because The Bloodline was not accompanying him.

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Dwayne Johnson makes a reference to Ja Morant’s controversy

While Johnson and his Williams reference was subtle, what wasn’t subtle was the reference he made to NBA star Ja Morant. During the song, Johnson sang, “You’re simply an embarrassment son, just like the JA Morant when he’s waving a gun.” This was for Rhodes and openly compared him to Morant.

Morant’s career was hindered when he was suspended for multiple games for showing his firearm on social media. Morant did retort to this in his own way. What do you think about Johnson’s song for Rhodes? Did you enjoy the crowd chant? Tell us in the comments.

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Written by:

Christopher Paul

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Christopher Paul is a WWE reporter at EssentiallySports. With over eight years of experience as a writer and a childhood passion for pro wrestling, Chris is now a voice for kayfabe fans. He has a penchant for covering live events and enjoys breaking the latest developments in the WWE Universe.
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Edited by:

Amal Joyce